Process for producing picture copies by means of transfer photographic films.



No. 852,136. I PATENTBD APR. 30, 1907. G. PIBTZNER. PROCESS FORPRODUCING PICTURE COPIES BY MEANS OF TRANSFER PHOTOGRAPHIO FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL PIETZNER, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.

PROCESSFOR PRODUCING PICTURE COPIES BY MEANS OF TRA'NSFER PHOTOGRAPHICFILMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

-Application filed November 12, 1906. Serial No. 342.966.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, CARL PIETZNER, royal and im erial court photographer,asubject of the Flinperor of Austria, and a resident of Vienna, in theEmpire of Austria, VI. Mariahilferstrasse 3, have invented an ImprovedProcess for Producing Picture Copies by Means of Transfer Photo raphicFilms; and I do hereby declare the fo lowing to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is well known roughly to paint over a photograph and to place acoll'odion film over the layer of color with which the said hotograph isprovided. It is also well known to colorordinary or screened photographson thesurface or on the back, and to transfer them to a backing orsupport. The above processes are not only unreliable,- but presentunsurmountable difficulties, even for the most experienced-(photograher.

' The process accor ing to t 1is invention has been practically triedand can be easily carried out by any expert or amateur, and by means ofthe said process even inferior pho tographs can be rendered veryartistic, so that their value will beconsiderably in creased, even apartfrom coloring.

The process is substantially as follows:

The outlines of a transfer photographic film obtained in the well knownmanner, or of a picture, are traced and transferred, by tracing, on anydesired backing, for instance canvas, wood, paper, ivory, leather ormetal. The film picture is transferred to an auxiliary support, forinstance paper, celluloid, glass etc. which support must, however, bepreviously repared in such manner that the picture (t e film) must beable subse quently to come ofl automatically. To that end, a gelatincoating is preferably used to which have been added tanning substances,for instance formalin, chrome-alum, or the like, inorder to prevent thesaid layer from expanding or becoming dissolved, so that the film doesnot alter, even in Water, and therefore must remain, Whatever be theadhesive materials used, exactly in accordance with the traced outlineto which the film is to be transferred, which is of great importance forobtaining a successful result.

In order to make the picture come off automatically from the auxiliarysupport, the gelatin coating is covered again with a shelcolors are puton very smoothly, which can be easily done by means of a scraper. If thecolors are put on too roughly, they would a pear on the front side ofthe picture a litt e smoother it is true, but still too rough even then,The proper spreading or smoothing on transparent film supports can bedone during the painting itself, so that a failure becomes impossible.After the background has been colored in accordance with the tracing,the film is transferred to it and made to adhere by means of somesuitable binding substance, for instance, shellac or gelatin so-' lutionto which so much acetone, methyl or the like has been added, that thetransfer film or picturelayer is softened by the said adhesivesubstance, but not dissolved, in order (which is a very important point)that the color should be able to penetrate into the softenedpicture-layer, whereby not only a color effect hitherto unattained, butat the same time a homogeneous connection, is attained. I

It is preferable to place the adhesive substance on the backgroundcarrying the colors,

only whenthe film is sticking fast, in order to prevent the outlinesfrom running. The coincldence of outlineslin transparent film supportscan be easily obtained, but in nontransparent supports, it would benecessary to make certain marks whereby to accurately adapt the filmsupport to the tracin backround. If the work be at all carefullyperformed, no failure is possible as neither the tracing, the supportnor the film can shift, and therefore they must fit together. Thephotograph remains correct in the smallest details, and the finishedpictures have a freshness and natural appearance of the colors likethose of a picture by afirst-class artist. In this way oil paintings canbeimitated on canvas, water colors prepared on paper, silk etc. or evenminiatures pain-ted on' ivory. In specially fine or small work, the backof the film might also be painted. This is preferably done by coatingthe film with a thin so- .90 in order that the action should take placelution of acetone or the like, and by coloring all the fine details andtones, such as lips, cheeks, eyes, old and lace etc.; the colorsbecoming fixed automatically by the acetone solution and forming a fineharmonious Whole by subsequent connection with the traced coloredsupport.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the steps of the process, Figure 1showing a copy from a negative detachably arranged on a suitablesupport; Figure 2 a reversed tracing made from said copy; Fi 3 areproduction on a suitable background of the tracing of Fig. 2; Fig. 4the background in Fig. 3 colored or tinted as desired and the originalcopy covering the same, the support for the copy being partly removed ordrawn away; and, Fig. 5 a sectional view of Fig. 4, the supportappearing a little raised from the film after the same has been laid onthe background.

In said drawing, a is the copy made from a suitable negative; I) thesupport to which said copy (or film) is made to detachably adhere; 0 isan outline made therefrom by tracing on a background (1 and whichoutline is then filled in with colors as in Fig. 4, after which thesupport carrying the copy is laid on the background and the copy made toadhere thereto, whereupon the support I) is drawn away, as in Fig. 4,leaving the film on the background and giving the painting or filled-inoutline on the background light, shadows and expression.

f designates holes or other marks whereby the several parts are made totruly register during the process so as to preserve conformity of theircorresponding portions throughout.

The tracing is preferably made from the back of support I) (which shouldbe for that purpose somewhat transparent) so that when the film or copyfinally covers the background its front side willbe exposed, althoughthe picture is reversed.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The process of preparing picture copies which consists in reproducingthe outline of a transfer photographic film onto a suitable background,filling in the outline thus produced in imitation of the originalobject, detachably applying the film to a suitable support, placing thesupport,' with the film attached, on the background and causing the filmto adhere to the background, and then removing the support,substantially as described.

2. The process of preparing picture copies which consists in reproducingthe outline of a transfer photo raphic film onto a suitablebackground,fil ling in the outline thus produced in imitation of theoriginal object, detachably applying the film to a suitable support,applying a film-softening adhesive to the background, placing thesupport, with the film attached, on the background and with the film incontact with the background, and then removing the support,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL PIETZNER- Witnesses:

WENZEL SINKE, ALVESTO S. HoGUE.

